Kripalu yoga comes to Somerville
By Tom Szekely
      

       Every day commuters are stuck in their cars, slurping down mocha grandes, drumming their fingers on the wheel – stuck in traffic; tension and stress may now be an inseparable part of the modern American life. Stress can motivate us and help us accomplish things. But one Somerville resident thinks that this does not need to be the way people address their daily lives.
       “I think every place needs yoga,” Kristie Karlof said. “There’s another way to be fully motivated and involved with life without creating or reacting with tension. We can begin to practice this through yoga.”

       Karlof, who currently teaches yoga at UMass Boston, is starting up a class in Somerville.
      "I think everyone can benefit from doing yoga. My intention is to provide a yoga class for the Somerville community, open to everyone – beginners and those more experienced with yoga. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do,” said Karlof.
      On Monday, Oct. 17, Karlof taught the first class of a five-week series held at the College Ave. Methodist Church. Karlof encouraged participants to sign up for the whole five-week series but said that “drop-ins”, for single classes, are also welcome. If there is enough support from the community these classes will continue beyond November and may become a permanent fixture in the Somerville landscape.
       “I live in Somerville so I want to use what I know and what I’ve learned to offer something back to my community,” Karlof said. “But more than that, I love the idea that I could be supporting the health and well being of my neighbors.”
       Having studied a variety of yoga styles in Boston, western Massachusetts, and North Carolina, Karlof completed her formal yoga teaching training at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Ma.
       “This Kripalu [style of yoga] is unique in that you don’t have to be a certain age, have a certain body type, be really strong or be really flexible or be really advanced.” Karlof said. “It’s open to beginners of all different types.”
        Karlof said that her practice of yoga had grown and changed and it “evolved as my life evolved.” She said the regular practice of yoga benefits both the body and the mind.
       “Yoga is beneficial in many different ways,” Karlof said. “It’s good for the physical body in terms of strength, flexibility and balance but also in terms of encouraging us to get back to deeper fuller breath, which supports us physically, calms us down, relaxes us, allows our body to work better, supports immune system functioning and promotes healing.”
        Some benefits will be seen after just one class but Karlof said that more, longer lasting changes come only with regular practice.
        “Making a commitment for yourself to a weekly yoga class,” she said, “can create the space in your life for change, for growth, for really nurturing yourself and for taking care of yourself. In Kripalu yoga, you’re encouraged to focus on your breath and what’s going on in your body – it allows the mind to quiet down. It allows judgement to quiet down. It encourages present moment awareness and acceptance with compassion.”
        Each of Karlof’s Kripalu yoga classes start with some time spent focusing on breath. Karlof said this quiets the mind and helps participants transition into the class from their “busy lives.” As the group starts to feel more centered, the class is then led through a series of standing and floor postures.
        “The class will always end with a relaxation period,” Karlof said, “which is essential in giving the body the time to integrate the energy we’ve cultivated in class. Through yoga, energy moves in the body.”
         The class will be held in a room which has a hardwood floor and participants are asked to bring either a yoga mat or a blanket to each class, she said.
         After attending one of her classes, both men and women are “more centered, more grounded, and quieter,” Karlof said. “They feel more open, their posture is better and it’s easier for them to sit still and be still. They feel better about themselves and their lives.”
For more information or to register for the five-week series, contact Kristie Karlof at 617-875-1286, kristie@stillnessfound.com or by visiting the website www.stillnessfound.com. The classes will be held Monday nights from 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. at the Methodist church on College Ave. from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14. Costs are $50 for the five week series and $12 a night for drop-ins. Readers of the Somerville News are being offered the rate of $40 for 4 classes.